the gun i use99% of the time is a rem 700syn stock stainless hvy fluted barrel
in .308 shooting 150 grn. fed. classics. it mows every thing down,98% 1 shot,the other 2% was my sons first two caribou,which were at 300-325 yds. walking and he lead them,so he hit them too far forward,they both dropped on the spot but had to finish them off when we walked up to them.
i have used a 30.06 on moose caribou and grizzly,all one shot kills. i just like the .308 better,it is the most accurate gun i have ever owned,it shoots almost in the same hole at 100yds,all holes connect,but not one small hole,oh well good enough for me.
i havent ever shot a brown bear and have no need to,but if i did i wouldnt hesitate in using the same round.i really think that an accurate shot is the most important thing,a monster caliber tends to make a bad shot out of a person and doesnt make up for a bad shot.
the talk of some calibers not penitrating is garbage,bad shots i bet,on moose the 150grn. always is under the skin on the opposite side,on caribou over 300yds its the same thing ,under 300 it usually goes through all the way.perfect caliber and bullet i think.i know a guy around here that only uses a 25.06.i know eskimoes who hunt moose and polar bear with a .223,they use a 30.06 for beluga whales.accuracy is the important thing.

Use enough gun. If you like Rugers, and I do. Take a look at the new .375 Ruger. It would be a great rifle for your application. I have a .30-06, .375 Ruger and a .375 H/H. The Ruger would fit well, in my Opinion.

Most of what is said in this post was already said in another post: Calibers for moose...but the original question included something about wanting a caliber that doesn't kick a whole bunch. Either the .30-06 or the .300 Win Mag will work fine, with the .30-06 kicking less. Yea, the .378 will kill anything, but the average moose hunter in grizz country will not be carrying anything that big., at least no one that I know! Brownies on the coast are a lot bigger and demand more gun just because. Yea, grizz above the Brooks and grizz in the interior are mean, but I know of no one who has been eaten after shooting one with a .30-06 or.300 Win Mag. a few times. The handgun thing is last defense and most calibers will work in that special situation, but there are never any promises made about the results of your encounter. Last week a female brownie with 3 cubs charged a fisherman and took 3 .44 rounds to the head and gut. She survived only to be taken out later by Wildlife enforcement because of her injuries. They got some will to live and can take some punishment. For every story you hear about someone needing a very huge gun to put a moose or bear down, there is two more stories out there about someone doing the same thing with a .270 or .30-06. in one shot....all situational. What ever you use, make sure your aim is true...that will always matter more. .300(in all forms), .338, .375's, .325, 8mm, are all very good choices also, if you like bigger guns.

My son-in-law and I hunt moose and caribou every year. We both carry Marlin 1895G in .45-70 Govt. His is stainless and unscoped and mine has a fixed 4X and is ported. We use Buffalo Big Bore ammunition exclusively (http://www.Buffalobore,com). When you unleash one of their 405 grain bullets and your aim is true the job is done...right then and there. This round has been one of the favorites of guides and bushrats for decades. The Marlin is easy to carry, reliable even if dragged through the brush and mud and you can point shoot it quickly in a high stress encounter of the Mr. Bear kind. Guess who loses that one? And best of all it's affordable. I hate to see a grown man cry at dinner because his Weatherby was scratched that day or better yet lost by the airlines.

Why send a boy to do a man's job? Why bring a knife to a gun fight? And if that wild rampaging Wooly Mammoth comes charging into camp...or Godzilla...well you get the idea.

I posted a question very similar to this on another hunting board and got most of the same replies. There were a few 30-06s, 300 Win Mags, 45-70s, and of course .338s and larger. I guess a lot of it comes down to what you like and how under gunned vs. a large bear you are willing to be.

I was also thinking about going to Alaska, this year or next.
I have a weatherby Ultra light weight in a .338.06 Aq. that I was thinking about taking for Moose and Brown Bear.
I also have an XCR in 375 H&H I could use for the trip. I have taken 2 Bear and a Moose with it without any problems.
Would the 338.06 be enough gun with a 210 grain Partition bullet?

I am not tring to highjack this thread, just asking because it is simular to the 30.06.

The comments about the brown taking 3 .44 is why I have a SW 460V that I carry when fishing in AK. I hope I never have to use it on a brown when fishing (no ear portection) might be the last thing I ever hear but if it is hearing or being a chew toy I guess you can still enjoy the beautiful AK sights.

I use a US made .300 Weatherby Mk V, in stainless, loaded with 250 grain RN Hawk bullets. It has both the Accubrake muzzle brake and a recoil pad which gives a result of almost no recoil. Sectional Density of these bullats is .376 and the Ballistic Coefficient is .417. A friend shot some into water soaked telephone books, from his German .300 Weatherby, and achieved 18" penetration,a mass retention of 173.5 grains and bullet expansion was 2.5. To look at a ballistic table showing the .300 Weatherby w/ a 250 grain RN bullet go to the Conley Precision site and look at its ballistics chart for the .300 Weatherby.

This is my first year moose hunting in Idaho and first trip total. My weapon of choice is the weatherby mark v 300 mag shooting 180 grain partition. I will more than take care of a moose, caribou and black bear. What I love about the weatherby's is they are fast, hard hitting, and flat shooting. 30.06 will do the job with a well placed shot. A little small for my preference but none the less they have been killing big game for decades. Don't go with the muzzlebreak recommendations on other posts, yes they will kick less but will make you and everyone else hard of hearing. Good choice with the .44 mag

Deer hunters spend so much time trying to pattern deer that we forget that we also can be "patterned." After all, most of us hunt the same days and the same hours, so it isn't difficult for deer to figure us out.
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